


Baby Fever

by Hughville



Category: House M.D.
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Humor, F/M, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-04
Updated: 2016-05-04
Packaged: 2018-06-06 08:32:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 16,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6746764
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hughville/pseuds/Hughville
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After saving Emma Sloan and her baby, House decides he wants a baby. Set after the S3 episode, Fetal Position.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own House. Other people have that honor.  
> I wrote this in 2010.

House rubbed his finger over his thumb. He could still see the baby’s tiny hand grasping his finger. The thought of having a child had never been appealing. He liked children; they were honest and didn’t have hidden agendas. He never saw the point of having one of his own, though. He had too much baggage; was too damaged.   
He rubbed his finger over his thumb again. Maybe if he had a baby with someone who was caring, compassionate and empathetic; someone who balanced out his flaws. She would need to be young, genetically blessed and willing to put up with him. He smiled and reached for the phone. If nothing else, this would provide an interesting distraction.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Forty-five minutes later, House was dozing on the couch when a knock at the door woke him. He rubbed his hand over his face and pushed himself up from the couch. He limped over to the front door, unhooking his cane from the molding over the entry as he went. Swinging open the door, he stepped back to allow Cameron in. She entered and looked at him expectantly.  
“House?” she questioned. “You said it was important. Do we have a patient?”  
“Nope,” House responded, making his way back to the couch. As he sat down, he patted the space beside him. “I have a proposition for you.”  
She sank down on the end of the couch and regarded him suspiciously. House smirked and reached out to pull her across the couch so that she sat next to him.  
“So, I’m thinking we should have a baby,” he told her.  
Her mouth opened and closed several times but no sound came out. She blinked and shook her head.  
“Wh…wha…what?” she asked.  
“I think you and I should have a baby.” He leaned back and laced his hands behind his head. “I didn’t think I wanted to have kids but I changed my mind. Even though I’m not a woman, I’m allowed to do that, you know.”  
She shifted so that she faced him. “Why me?”  
“You’re young, intelligent, beautiful and you don’t annoy me too much.”  
Cameron shook her head again. Closing her eyes, she tried to process what he was saying. “You want to have a baby and you want me to be your surrogate?”  
“That’s not what I said,” he told her. “I said I think we should have a baby. We would raise the baby together. You would do all the hard stuff and I would have all the fun.”  
“So, we would raise the child together?”  
He sighed and folded his arms across his chest. “You’re beginning to make me regret asking you to birth my spawn,” he told her. “You’re usually much quicker than this. I have no intention of changing diapers or wiping up puke. That’s where you come in. So, we’ll do this together. I would think you’d jump on this. You’ll be tied to me for life.”  
“How will we do this?” she asked. “Artificial insemination?”  
“Hell, no!” House responded with disgust. “No way is my good stuff going into a cup. We’ll do this the old fashioned way.”  
“You want to have sex with me?”  
House shrugged. “I like sex and you like me. It’s a win-win.”  
“What about Chase?”  
“What about him?” House asked. “He can’t have a baby. Unless there’s something you know that I don’t.”  
“I have-“ she began.  
“Been sleeping with him?” he interrupted. “I know. You’ll have to stop. Is that a problem?”  
“I mean I have to tell him-“ she began again.  
“Why? I thought it was just sex with you two. Am I wrong?”  
She shook her head in frustration. “Would you shut up and stop interrupting me?”  
House sighed and rolled his eyes but remained silent.   
“I have to tell Chase that I won’t be sleeping with him anymore if we do this. But I have more questions before I decide what I want to do,” she said seriously.  
“So ask,” House told her.  
“Would we draw up a custody agreement?”  
“We can. I don’t think we need to. I won’t leave you holding the bag or in this case, the baby.” He slid a sly glance at her, a slight smile curving his lips.  
She nodded. “Would we live together?”  
House looked at her, his gaze skimming from her head to her feet. “I don’t know.”  
“What if I meet someone; decide to get married?” she asked. “What if you do?”  
House sat silently for several minutes. Finally, he answered in a quiet voice. “I won’t stop you if you decide to get married.”   
“What would we tell people?”  
“The truth,” House replied. “I have chosen you to be my brood mare.” He laughed and Cameron rolled her eyes.  
“I’m serious, House,” she said.  
“So am I,” he told her. “We tell people the truth.”  
“Why not hire a surrogate?” she asked. “Or ask Cuddy?”  
“Hiring someone involves spending Wilson’s hard earned cash. That makes him unhappy,” House grinned, purposely ignoring her second question.  
“Why not ask Cuddy?” she persisted.  
House slid to sit on the edge of the couch. “What difference does it make?”  
Cameron sat silently, waiting. House rolled his eyes and sighed in exasperation.  
“God you can be annoying at times,” he grumbled. “She’s older. There’s more chance for birth defects and complications during pregnancy. I don’t need that aggravation.”  
Cameron leaned back and closed her eyes. House looked over his shoulder at her.  
“So, we good?” he asked.  
She opened her eyes and looked at him. He found her direct gaze disconcerting. His gaze shifted away and he stood up. He made his way to the piano and sat down, opening the lid and placing his hands on the keys.  
“Don’t you have any questions for me?” she asked.  
“Nope,” he replied. A soft melody drifted on the air as he began to play.  
“This is a huge decision, House.”  
“Look,” he told her. “You either want to do this or you don’t. If the thought of having sex with me is too repulsive, we can do insemination. I know I’m not great looking and I’ve got the bum leg-“  
“Shut up, House.”  
He flicked a glance at her and continued to play. He watched out of the corner of his eye as she rose and breathed out a long breath. She walked toward the piano and leaned against it.  
“I’ll have to stop taking my birth control pill and you will have to be tested for STDs,” she told him.  
“I don’t have an STD,” he scoffed.  
“You sleep with hookers,” she shot back.  
“You sleep with Chase,” he returned.  
“Then we’ll both get tested,” she told him.  
House peered at her as he continued to play. “So, are we good?” he asked again.  
She sighed. “We’re good,” she told him. “But I better not regret doing this with you.”  
“Life is filled with regrets,” House remarked. “No reason this should be any different.”  
Cameron traced a pattern on the top of the piano, a slight smile playing on her lips. “We’re going to have a baby,” she said softly.  
House shook his head and smiled. “If you get pregnant.”  
She looked up at him with a sly grin. “If you can get me pregnant.”  
House laughed. “Don’t worry. I’ll get you pregnant.”


	2. Chapter 2

House looked up from the medical journal he had been reading. Glancing at his watch, he saw that it was a little after two a.m. He tossed the journal on his desk, grabbed his right leg and swung his legs down. He picked up his cane and walked silently to where Cameron lay curled sleeping in his Eames lounge chair. He sat down on the footstool and touched her knee. She shifted slightly but didn’t wake. He slipped his hand beneath her skirt and allowed his fingers to move up her smooth firm thigh. He smirked when she woke with a gasp.  
“Let’s go,” he told her, slowly trailing his fingers back down her thigh.  
She swung her feet to the floor and smoothed her skirt. Blinking sleepily, she looked at him. “What time is it?”  
He stood up and headed for the door. “After two,” he told her opening the door.  
She followed him to the elevator, smoothing her hair. “Tell me again why we’re doing this in the middle of the night.”  
The elevator doors slid open and they stepped in. House punched the button with the tip of his cane and smirked at her. “Because we are running STD panels. On ourselves.”  
“What happened to telling the truth?” she asked.  
“There are truths and there are truths. You really need to learn the difference,” he sighed as the doors slid open and he quickly limped down the hallway to the lab. She followed him and caught up with him at the door to the lab.  
“Did you get your yearly viewing?” he asked.  
“If you mean my yearly vaginal exam, yes,” she told him. “My Pap smear was normal.”  
He thrust a specimen cup at her. “Go forth and pee,” he told her waving his cane dramatically. He slipped another cup into his pocket and headed for the men’s room. Cameron shook her head and with a slight laugh tucked the cup into her pocket before heading to the bathroom.

xOxOx

House peered over Cameron’s shoulder as she looked into the microscope. “So, what nasties did you pick up from Chase?” he asked.  
“None,” she told him. “It looks like we are both free of any STDs.”  
“Told you so,” he smirked. “So, how long until you have your period?”  
“I’m due for it sometime next week,” she told him.  
“So we have about three weeks before we can do the deed.”  
“Yes,” she told him.  
“We could practice now,” he told her. “See how well we like it.”  
“Nope,” she told him, sliding down from the stool to the floor. “I’m going home to get some sleep.”  
She started walking toward the door with House on her heels. She stopped and turned to face him folding her arms and looking up at him expectantly. “Where are you going?” she asked.  
“Home to get some sleep,” he replied innocently.   
“Uh huh.”  
He widened his eyes.  
“You’re not going home with me, House.” She turned on her heel and walked off.  
“You’re a hard woman, Cameron,” he called after her. When she turned and smiled sweetly at him, he laughed.

xOxOx

House knocked on Cameron’s door and waited. After a few minutes, he rapped his cane against the door more forcefully. The door swung open and he smiled at Cameron. She wore a camisole, pajama pants and held a towel in her hand. Her hair was piled messily on top of her head and her face was free of make-up.   
“I told you that you can’t-“ she began.  
House pushed past her and walked into the living room. “Yeah, yeah, yeah,’ he replied. “Since when do I listen to you?”   
He headed down the hallway, opening doors until he came to her bedroom. Leaning his cane against the wall, he toed off his tennis shoes while removing his jacket. He stripped down to his t-shirt and boxers, leaving his clothes in a pile on the floor. He crawled into her bed and burrowed under the covers.  
“House,” Cameron said helplessly from the doorway. She began to pick up his clothes, smoothing them out and folding them.   
“I decided we should live together,” he told her, rolling onto his side and tucking the pillow more comfortably beneath his head. “Be easier for you. You won’t have to schlep the baby and all the baby stuff around to my place all the time.”  
“I don’t have room for a baby here,” she told him.  
House yawned. “Get in bed,” he told her. “My place isn’t big enough either. So I thought we would get a bigger place.”  
“Together?”  
He rubbed his cheek against the smooth pillowcase and closed his eyes. “I’m too tired to come up with a witty come back so yes, together. Come to bed.”  
Cameron walked to the other side of the bed and slipped beneath the covers. As soon as she lay back, House rolled over and draped his arm and leg over her, nuzzling his nose against her neck. She laughed softly and closed her eyes.  
“So, when are we going to tell people?” she asked.  
“Tomorrow,” he muttered, his breath warming her skin.  
“Today tomorrow or tomorrow tomorrow?” she asked.  
He pulled her closer and sighed. “God you are so literal,” he grumbled. She could feel his voice rumble in his chest and suppressed a shiver. “Today tomorrow. Now shut up and go to sleep.”  
She turned slightly in his embrace and went to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Cameron leaned against the counter in her kitchen eating a bowl of cereal. House shuffled in and she smiled slightly at the sight of him. His hair stood out at odd angles and he squinted against the glare of the kitchen lights.  
“Coffee,” he mumbled.  
Cameron pushed away from the counter and put her bowl in the sink. She opened a cabinet door and pulled out a mug. She filled it with coffee, stirred some sugar into it and handed it to House. She leaned back against the counter and picked up her own mug. He limped over to her and leaned back, closing his eyes.  
They leaned against the counter, House drinking his coffee and Cameron drinking her tea. Finally, House set his mug down and turned to face her.   
“You snore,” he told her. “And you drool.”  
Cameron turned to him, outrage plain on her face. “I do not!”  
He smirked.  
“You’re an ass,” she grumbled, hiding a smile behind her mug.  
He took the mug from her and placed it on the counter. He smoothed his hands over her hips, pulling her against him. She looked up at him suspiciously.  
“What are you doing?” she asked, her breath catching in her throat.  
“Patting you down for needles,” he told her with a sly grin. She rolled her eyes.  
He leaned down and covered her mouth with his as his arms slipped around her. Her eyes drifted closed and her lips parted. His lips moved against hers and his tongue slid into her mouth. She gripped his shoulders and swirled her tongue around his as a low moan escaped her. He sucked on her lower lip, causing desire to skate along her nerves. He released her and she opened her eyes slowly. He grinned down at her.  
“I’m gonna go shower,” he whispered. Turning, he limped out of the kitchen clutching his right thigh.  
Cameron shook her head and tried to control her breathing. She picked up their mugs and carried them to the sink. Her hands shook as she rinsed them out and put them in the dishwasher. She heard the water running in the bathroom as she made her way to her bedroom.  
“CAMERON!” House yelled.  
She turned around and raced into the bathroom.  
“What happened?” she asked, fear sharpening her voice. “Did you fall? Are you hurt?”  
The shower curtain rings rattled as he pulled the shower curtain back and poked his head out. Water streamed down his face.  
“Don’t you have any soap that doesn’t come in a tube or that will make me smell like a thirteen year old girl?” he whined.  
“I thought you were hurt!”  
“So that’s a no on the soap?”  
She looked at him in disgust and turned on her heel to stalk out of the bathroom.  
“We’re staying at my place until we get a new place or you’re buying me some manly soap!” he shouted.  
Cameron slammed the bedroom door and leaned back against it. She laughed in spite of herself.

xOxOx

House opened the door to Wilson’s office and poked his head in.  
“Cameron and I are moving in together and she has agreed to have a baby with me,” he said. He closed the door and limped down the hallway toward the elevators.   
“WHAT?!?!” Wilson yelled from his office door.  
House punched the elevator button with his cane. “Got clinic duty,” he called out. “No time to gossip and giggle. Cuddy is cracking the whip on me. And, no, that isn’t a euphemism.” The doors to the elevator slid open and he stepped in. He turned and grinned smugly at the dumbfounded look on Wilson’s face. 

xOxOx

Wilson found Cameron at House’s desk going through the mail.  
“What are you doing?” he asked, standing in front of the desk with his hands on his hips.  
She looked up at him over the top of her glasses. “I’m going through the mail.”  
“That’s not what I mean and you know it,” he told her, rubbing the back of his neck, exasperation evident in his voice. “You’re moving in with House and having a baby with him?”  
Cameron closed her eyes. “He told you.”  
“More like dropped a bomb on me and ran,” Wilson grumbled. “What are you thinking?”  
Cameron stood up and looked Wilson directly in the eye. “I think I’m moving in with House and having a baby with him.”  
“But you and Chase-“  
“Are over,” she told him coolly. “Not that this is any of your business.”  
“It is if I have to pick up the pieces after you break his heart.”  
Cameron shook her head. “He’s not in love with me so I’m not going to break his heart.”  
Wilson looked at her in shock and disbelief. “He asked you to have a baby with him. He asked you to live with him. Have you slept with him yet?”  
“That is none of your business,” she said, a flush staining her cheeks.  
“Oh, oh, oh!” Wilson stammered, poking the air with his finger. “You did!”  
“Leave her alone,” House commanded from the doorway. “You want information, you come to me. Leave Cameron out of it. She is off limits. I mean it.”  
He limped into his office and dropped a kiss on Cameron’s cheek, trailing his fingers across her stomach as he passed.  
Wilson’s mouth dropped open and Cameron looked at him with pity. She watched as he turned and walked slowly from the office. He turned at the door and stared at them before walking away.  
House sat in his chair and leaned back.  
“I think we gave him a stroke,” he laughed.  
“You’re enjoying this,” Cameron accused. “He’s worried about you and you’re taunting him. This is nothing but a game to you.”  
House shrugged. “Maybe it is and maybe it isn’t.” He picked up his headphones and put them on. He closed his eyes and folded his hands across his stomach.  
Cameron grabbed his mail and went into the conference room. She would get nothing out of him until he was ready. She was convinced that it was nothing but a game to him.  
Wilson appeared in the doorway.  
“Are you sure this is what you want?” he asked quietly.  
She nodded.  
“Okay,” he said and was gone.


	4. Chapter 4

House came to a decision. Pushing away from his desk, he got up and began to prepare. He limped into the conference room and locked the outer door. He closed the blinds covering the glass wall looking into his office. Entering his office, he closed the blinds over the glass wall looking out into the hallway. He then went to his balcony door and locked it. The blinds over the back window rattled as he closed them. He limped back to his desk, picked up his phone, punched in some numbers and sat back to wait.  
He didn’t have to wait long. The blinds over the door rattled as Cameron came in, a look of concern on her face.  
“House?” she questioned. “You paged me. Are you okay?”  
“Lock the door,” he told her.  
She gave him that quizzical look he always found so amusing. “What?”  
“Lock. The. Door,” he repeated.  
He watched as she looked around and the wheels in her mind began turning. He laughed softly when she began to shake her head and fold her arms across her chest.  
“No,” she said firmly. “No, House.”  
He rose from his chair and advanced on her, grabbing his cane. “Oh, yes,” he assured her.  
“No! Not here, House!” she argued, a note of desperation tingeing her words.  
He moved past her and used his cane to activate the lock.  
“Yes, here,” he told her. He stood behind her and dropped his cane on the floor. She flinched when his hands came to rest on her shoulders.  
“No, House,” she whispered. “I’m not ovulating. Not here.”  
“Oh, yes, Allison,” he whispered, leaning forward to place a kiss beneath her ear.  
She stiffened and he smiled. Gotcha! he thought a satisfied smile curving his mouth. Then he frowned.  
“What did you just call me?” she asked in a strangled whisper.  
His fingers tightened on her shoulders. He could feel the muscles beneath her clothes tighten further.  
“Your first name is Allison, isn’t it?” he joked.  
“You never call me that.”  
He closed his eyes. She was right. What he thought was a clever tactical move to get her to relax just backfired on him in a major way. It wasn’t like him to make this kind of mistake. What was wrong with him? She was supposed to laugh and jokingly call him by his first name then they would get down to the good stuff.  
He began to massage her shoulders. “Don’t you want me to call you by your first name? I mean, I can keep calling you Cameron, but the kid might think it’s kind of odd for his parents to call each other by their last names.”  
She turned her head and glanced up at him out of the corner of her eye. “You want me to call you Greg?”  
He sighed in annoyance. “Actually I was sort of hoping you would be screaming my name by now,” he told her.  
“Why here? Why now?” she asked.  
House dropped his hands and limped over to his lounge chair. He flopped down into it with a sigh of disgust. “Are we going to end up analyzing everything?” he whined. “You can be a real killjoy, you know it?”  
She turned to face him, arms folded. He sighed. He recognized that look.  
“Unclench and sit down,” he ordered.  
She narrowed her eyes and sat down on the footstool, stiff and tense. House sighed.  
“What if sex with you sucks?” he asked. She drew in a deep breath to answer, anger blazing from her eyes.  
“Yeah, yeah, yeah, Chase thought you were fantastic,” he continued. “Hate to break it to you, but he’s a boy. I’m not; way more experience; higher standards.”  
She rolled her eyes and muttered something under her breath.  
“Ignoring you,” he continued. “If we do this at your place or my place and it sucks, then we have the whole awkward slinking out thing. Let me tell you, it’s not pretty.”  
Cameron stared at him and then stood up. House rolled his eyes.  
“So, what, you’re gonna get all indignant and leave in a huff?”  
She continued to stare at him as she slid her lab coat off. He swallowed as she unbuttoned her vest and tossed it to one side. He sat up straighter as she kicked her shoes off and grasped the hem of her skirt in her hands, pulling it up to reveal long sleek legs and a tantalizing glimpse of pink lace. He gripped the arms of the chair as she moved to straddle him. His mouth parted and his breath left him in a rush as she carefully settled on his lap. Her hands came to rest on his shoulders and she smiled lazily at him. Blue eyes met blue-green.   
“It won’t suck,” she assured him. Leaning forward she kissed him, sinking against him. Her tongue traced his lower lip before sliding into his mouth. She leisurely traced the interior of his mouth before pulling back to unbutton his shirt. Pulling it from him, she tossed it over her shoulder. She pulled the collar of his t-shirt away from his neck and nipped at the base of his throat. His head dropped back against the chair and his eyes drifted shut. Her soft lips and warm breath sent shivers through him. He leaned forward to let her pull his t-shirt over his head. As her hands traced over his chest, he unbuttoned her top and slid it from her. He ran his hands up the smooth skin of her back and unfastened her bra. The lacy lingerie joined the growing heap of clothes on the floor. Pushing her back, he reached out and traced the curve of her breasts with his fingertips. He rubbed his thumbs over the taut nipples making her moan. Pulling her forward, he dipped his head, covering one with his mouth. He rolled the tight bud beneath his tongue and she hummed with pleasure. Her skin was incredibly smooth and taut. He flicked his tongue against the mole above her left breast earning another hum of pleasure from her. He felt her knuckles press against his stomach as she worked the button of his jeans free. He hooked his fingers in the narrow waistband of her panties and she stood up, allowing him to pull them down her legs. She kicked them to one side and sank back down on his lap. She unzipped his jeans and rose up on her knees. He lifted his hips and she pulled his jeans and boxer shorts down his legs, freeing his erection. He expected her to sink down on him but she sat carefully on his thighs and leaned forward, trapping his stiff penis between their bodies. She smiled at him as she rubbed against him.  
“Still think it’s going to suck?’ she whispered against his mouth.  
He stared at her and shook his head. “No,” he breathed. He threaded his fingers through her hair and kissed her.  
As his mouth hungrily explored hers, she lifted her hips and he felt her fingers close around him. His hands clenched on her head as she guided him inside her, sinking down on him. She began to rotate her hips and he pulled back, looking at her in open-mouthed wonder. Somehow she was rotating her hips and moving up and down on him at the same time. She circled her hips and rose up slightly before circling in the opposite direction as she slid back down.   
“You like that?” she asked with a seductive grin, trailing her fingers down his cheeks.  
“Uh huh,” he panted. “That’s nice.”  
Her smiled widened and she arched forward. Her breasts rubbed against his chest and he gasped slightly at the sensation. She settled against him, her forehead resting against his as she began to thrust against him. He gripped her hips and guided her movements. He encouraged her to move faster and she pushed away from him, bracing her hands on his shoulders. He felt her inner muscles begin to tighten and he watched her as she came closer to her release. When her muscles grabbed him and began contracting on him, she arched backwards and screamed his name. He slid his hands up her back and pulled her forward, covering her mouth with his, swallowing her moans and cries of pleasure. The feel of her squirming in his arms, her body tightening on him, pushed him over the edge and he climaxed. He’d had many orgasms but none like this. The pleasure was so intense it stunned him, leaving him breathless and disoriented. He was dimly aware of her relaxing against him. He wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in the damp curve of her shoulder. As his breathing and heart rate returned to normal, he opened his eyes. This definitely didn’t suck.  
“Not to jinx this, but I hope it takes a while for you to get pregnant,” he told her, biting gently at her shoulder. “You are very talented.”  
She laughed softly and settled more comfortably in his arms. “I told you it wouldn’t suck.”


	5. Chapter 5

The door to House’s apartment banged open. House tossed his backpack and cane toward a chair. Cameron slammed the door shut and grabbed him, pinning him against the door. She tore several buttons on his shirt as she pulled it from him. More buttons pinged against the floor as he stripped her vest from her. Mouths met and clung; tongues tangled; breathless moans floated on the air. He jerked her pants down and she kicked them to one side. He pushed off his shoes and unbuttoned his jeans as he maneuvered her down the hallway toward his bedroom. Their bedroom he mentally corrected. She had moved in a week ago.   
As he pushed her into the bedroom, he worked the rest of her clothes from her body and stripped his off before pushing her back onto the bed. She scooted back onto the bed and pulled him down on top of her. Her mouth and hands moved over him. He was still amazed that she could get him so worked up. When she had sauntered into his office earlier and announced she was ovulating, he had broken speed records getting her home. Riding on his motorcycle with a full on erection had been painful. The feel of her pressed against him the whole ride home increased his desire and discomfort. He was almost embarrassed by his desire for her. Almost.  
She was doing things with her hands and mouth that made him make noises he had never made before. He pulled her on top of him and pushed her back toward his erection. She lifted her hips and slid down on him. Flipping her silky dark hair over her shoulders, she began to move. He watched her expression change as he thrust up against her. Though he would never admit it, this was what he loved most; watching her as he made love to her. He closed his eyes. Now where had that come from? He didn’t have time to analyze it further because she was tightening on him and he knew that soon she would be arching backwards and gasping his name. The feel of her muscles contracting on him would push him over the edge. As his heat flooded her, he wondered if any of his little swimmers would make contact. He wondered if their baby would be conceived this afternoon. Part of him hoped so and part of him hoped it wouldn’t happen today. He was half afraid that she would stop making love to him once she was pregnant. Damn! There was that phrase again. What was wrong with him?  
She rolled to lie beside him and he shifted onto his side to look at her. The early afternoon sunlight gleamed on her sweat dampened skin. Her hair spread in a tangled swirl over the pillow. Her eyes were closed and her breath flowed out of her causing her chest to rise and fall. He trailed his hand over the concave plane of her stomach. Her hand closed over his and she turned her head to smile at him. His breath caught at the sight of that smile. He tore his eyes away from the image of her lying in the bed naked and completely relaxed. He pulled the covers over them and settled against the pillow. She snuggled up next to him and his arm slid around her. Her breath touched his neck and he closed his eyes.  
“Let me sleep and then we’ll start round two,” he told her. He could feel her nod against his shoulder. Her hand came to rest over his heart and her leg slid between his. He shifted so he lay on his side again and pulled her against him. He would never tell her, but he slept better with her pressed against him.

xOxOx

Round two was more leisurely than round one. He took his time, exploring every inch of her body. He kissed each mole and freckle; he nibbled on the silky curve of her waist; he familiarized himself with the areas that drew the loudest moans from her. He sat up against the headboard and pulled her onto his lap. She sank down on him and leaned against him. The feel of her body against his, her breasts resting against his chest, her arms around his shoulders made him close his eyes and pull her closer. She sank against him and he moved his hands down to her hips. Pulling her legs up, he pushed up against her. She moaned in his ear and he nipped at her shoulder. She leaned back away from him and he cupped her breasts. He remembered all the times he had taunted her, referring to her as a fourteen year old boy, teasing her about the slightness of her body. Her breasts were perfect, he realized that now. They fit perfectly in his hands and her body fit him perfectly. Sure she was slender but she was also incredibly strong and resilient. Somehow he knew this when he called her that day. He knew she was the perfect woman to give him a child. As she arched backward and her muscles clenched on him, he realized she was the perfect woman for him.


	6. Chapter 6

Wilson looked up as House entered his office. House slouched in the chair across from Wilson’s desk and tapped his cane on the floor.   
“The Red Menace flowed in this morning,” House commented, staring off into space.  
Wilson put down his pen and nodded. “So, either Communists have invaded Princeton or Cameron isn’t pregnant. Which is it?”  
House tapped his cane and looked up at the ceiling. “I shouldn’t be disappointed. This means another month of nonstop sex.”  
Wilson squeezed his eyes shut and held up his hands. “I really don’t need details,” he said with a shudder. Opening his eyes, he regarded House thoughtfully. “Are you disappointed? It would be normal. But then you are hardly normal…”  
House stared at a point over Wilson’s shoulder. “I think I’m going to ask her to marry me,” he stated and stood up. “I think that would be best for the spawn.”  
Wilson sat staring in slack jawed amazement at House.  
“That’s a really unattractive look on you, by the way,” House commented. “Makes you look like you’re a few cards short of a full deck.”  
“Marriage?” Wilson asked. “You’re thinking about marrying Cameron?”  
House shrugged. “Why not? She likes me, I like having sex with her. It’s a win-win.”  
“She doesn’t like you,” Wilson told him. “She is in love with you. Wait? Are you in love with her?”  
“What?” House asked, looking out the window. “No. Of course not.”  
“You are,” Wilson said with a knowing smirk. “You’ve always had a soft spot for her and this whole baby thing was a perfect way to tie her to you.”  
“Well, it’s obvious I can’t talk to you about this,” House announced. He stood up and walked out of Wilson’s office. He made his way down the hallway. Wilson fell in step beside him.   
“Are you going to buy her an engagement ring?” Wilson asked with a smirk. “I think something simple would be appropriate. How do you plan to ask her? A romantic candlelit dinner? You can’t really get down on one knee.”  
House walked into the Diagnostics conference room with Wilson on his heels. Cameron, Chase and Foreman sat at the glass table.  
“Hey, Cameron!” House called out. “Wanna get married?”  
Everyone froze as Cameron turned to look at him in shock. “What?” she asked in a strangled voice.  
“I think we should get married since you plan to birth my spawn,” House told her. “So, yes or no?”  
Cameron looked at him for several long moments. “Yes,” she said finally.  
“Good,” House replied. He turned to Wilson. “Romance is overrated.” He limped into his office and sat down at his desk. Cameron entered and stopped next to him.  
“What was that all about?” she asked.   
House pulled his calendar toward him and flipped through the pages. “How does next Friday work for you?” he asked.  
“For what?”  
“For our wedding,” he told her.  
She leaned against his desk as all the color drained from her face. “You were serious? I thought you were doing that to annoy Wilson or Chase.”  
“I am always serious,” he assured her. “I am the most serious man in the world.”  
“We don’t love each other,” she protested.   
“How many people have gotten married for love only to have it blow up in their faces?”  
She stared at him in shock. “You want to marry me?”  
“Wouldn’t have asked you if I didn’t.”  
“But…” she began.   
“Look, you married for love the first time. This time you marry for a different reason,” he remarked. “Doesn’t matter to me how you justify it to yourself. I think things will be easier for us and the baby if we’re married.”   
Cameron stared at him.  
“Look, I know I am hardly your dream man, but if we’re gonna have a baby we might as well get married,” he told her.  
“Next Friday is fine,” Cameron told him. She stared down at him with clear blue-green eyes. “You have to wear a suit and tie, though.”  
“But I don’t wanna,” he whined.   
“Too bad.”  
“You’re gonna be one of those bossy wives, aren’t you?”  
She smiled. “Maybe.”  
House laughed. “Fine. I’ll wear a damn suit and tie. I suppose you’ll want me to wear a wedding ring, too?”  
She nodded. Bracing her hands on the arms of his chair, she leaned in close to him and smiled. “Normally you like it when I tell you what to do,” she remarked.  
“Normally you’re naked when you’re telling me what to do,” he smirked.   
Cameron laughed softly. She leaned toward him and kissed him lightly. House closed his eyes and slid his hands around her waist. He opened his eyes and stared at her. She smiled at him and he felt his heart rate increase. He pushed her away and turned to his computer.  
“Go find me a patient,” he commanded.  
Her lips brushed against the back of his neck and he suppressed a shiver of desire.  
“Okay,” she whispered.   
When he turned around, she was gone.


	7. Chapter 7

The hair dryer buzzed as Cameron dried her long hair. House leaned back in the tub and watched her pull a round brush through the dark strands. He absently rubbed his thigh. He looked appreciatively at the delicate lacy underwear she wore.  
“You’re going to get all pruny if you stay in there much longer,” Cameron called out over the noise of the dryer.   
House closed his eyes and let the heat of the water relax him.  
Silence descended on the bathroom as she shut off the dryer. “Are you ignoring me?” she asked.  
“What gave me away?”   
She laughed and he opened his eyes. She was winding her hair around a hot roller. House watched in fascination as she rolled strand after strand until her head was covered in rollers. She turned to look at him in amusement.  
“Are you going to stay in there all day?” she asked.  
“Are you going to continue to ask me pointless questions I have no intention of answering?” he countered.  
“The courthouse closes at five,” she reminded him, turning back to the mirror. She began to apply her makeup. House tilted his head as he watched her. He realized he preferred her with her hair tousled and messy and her face free of makeup. There was something untouchable about her when she was all dressed up; a sort of perfection he couldn’t hope to match.  
He groaned loudly as he pushed himself up from the tub. Cameron ignored him and continued to apply her makeup. He grabbed a towel and rubbed himself dry. Reaching past her, he opened the medicine cabinet. She rolled her eyes but stepped back. House pulled his deodorant out and made a big production out of applying it. Tossing the container back in the cabinet, he slapped Cameron on her silk and lace covered ass and limped into the bedroom. Her laughter floated behind him and he flopped onto the bed. He was dozing when he felt her finger jab him in the ribs.   
“Go trim your beard and comb your hair,” she ordered with a broad smile.  
He glared at her and pushed himself off the bed. She tossed his boxer shorts to him. He grunted and pulled them on. Turning to face her, he smiled sweetly and slammed the bathroom door. He moved to the toilet and pulled out the bag he had stuffed behind the cistern. Moving back to the sink, he turned on the water and dumped the contents of the bag out. He wet his face and then picked up the shaving cream. Squirting a large dollop into his hand, he smeared it over his face. He wet the razor and carefully shaved himself, surveying his smooth face when he was done. She better damn well appreciate what he was doing for her. He grabbed the brush she had used earlier and smoothed it over his hair. Picking up the aftershave, he poured some into his hand and patted it over his face. Grabbing the shave cream, razor and aftershave, he dumped them into the garbage along with the bag. He stood for a moment and then reached in to pull out the aftershave. Moving to the door, he rubbed his hand over his face again. As his hand closed around the handle, a wave of uncertainty washed over him. What if she thought he looked ridiculous? Shaking his head, he jerked the door open and entered the bedroom. Cameron stood next to the bed slipping her arms into a lace covered dress. House stared at her. The dress hugged her curves and the short lace sleeves showed off her toned arms. The high collar emphasized the long column of her neck.   
He limped toward her and helped her slide the zipper up. She turned to smile at him and her eyes widened.  
“You shaved,” she breathed.  
“Yeah, don’t get used to it,” he told her, rolling his eyes. His eyes drifted closed as her fingers traced over the smooth contours of his face. His eyes snapped open and he went over to the wardrobe. He grabbed his neatly ironed white shirt and pulled it on. Looking over his shoulder, he saw her staring at him.  
“You gonna go with those things in your hair?” he asked. “You look like you could pick up space signals.”   
She bit her lip to hide a smile and turned to go back into the bathroom. House finished dressing and sat on the bed to pull on his socks and shoes. He hoped he wouldn’t have to stand for long since he was wearing lace up dress shoes instead of his comfortable Nike Shox. He looked around for his cane and stopped in shock. Cameron stood in the bathroom door. Her hair fell over her shoulders in soft waves and was pulled back from her face with a delicate pearl encrusted headband. Tiny pearl earrings adorned her ears. She smiled at him as she walked into the bedroom. She bent and picked up the strappy high heeled sandals she planned to wear. Turning to face him, she reached up and kissed his cheek.  
“You look very handsome,” she told him.  
He nodded and picked up his cane. “You ready?”  
She sat down and slipped her shoes on. Standing, she smoothed her dress and ran her hands over her hair. “Ready,” she told him.  
He followed her down the hallway and then turned to enter the kitchen. Opening the refrigerator, he pulled out the surprise he had gotten for her. Entering the living room, he cleared his throat. Cameron looked up from her purse and gasped. House held out the bouquet. It was small but the delicate cream colored roses perfumed the air.  
“Figured you might want this,” he said.  
She moved forward and took the flowers from him. “Thank you,” she whispered, her eyes shining with tears.  
“Oh, God,” he groaned. “Are you gonna cry?”  
She shook her head. “No,” she assured him.  
He straightened his navy blue jacket and smoothed down his maroon tie.  
“Let’s get this over with,” he commanded. “Wilson is meeting us there.”  
She nodded.

xOxOx

House and Cameron faced each other and exchanged vows. Wilson stood behind House, holding Cameron’s bouquet and purse and House’s cane, smiling broadly. The judge asked for the rings and he heard Wilson shuffling behind him. Cameron reached out and Wilson dropped House’s ring into her hand before dropping a narrow platinum and diamond band into House’s hand. House slid Cameron’s ring onto her narrow finger echoing the words of the judge. He watched Cameron’s face as she slipped his ring onto his finger. Looking down, he saw that his ring was silver and appeared to be two bands interlocked, like a puzzle. He smiled.  
“You may kiss your bride,” the judge informed him with a smile.  
House leaned forward and dropped a kiss on her lips. He rubbed his finger over the narrow band on her finger before releasing her hand. Turning, he held out his hand for his cane. He rolled his eyes at the tears in Wilson’s eyes.  
“You are such a girl,” he grumbled.  
Wilson held out Cameron’s purse and bouquet. She hugged him as she took the items from him. Wilson sniffed and smiled at them both. He patted his jacket and pulled out a camera.   
“I almost forgot,” he said. “Stand closer and put your arm around your bride, House.”  
House rolled his eyes but complied with Wilson’s request. He felt Cameron’s arm slide around his waist and her slender body angle toward his. Wilson took the picture and House looked down at Cameron. She looked up at him with a radiant smile. The camera flashed again and he looked up to see Wilson smirking at him. He would definitely have to get that camera away from Wilson.


	8. Chapter 8

House fished his keys out of his pocket and unlocked the door to their apartment. Cameron stood behind him holding her bouquet and purse. He couldn’t wait to get her inside and out of her dress. Looking down at his hands, he saw the wedding band she placed on his finger earlier. It still felt foreign to him but he knew he would soon get used to the feel of it.  
Pushing the door open, he turned to smirk at his wife. “I’d carry you over the threshold, but…” he said, waving his cane. His brows drew together and his voice trailed off as he looked at her. She was staring into the apartment, her eyes wide and her mouth parted in surprise. House turned to look and was shocked by what he saw. Hundreds of candles flickered, casting a soft golden glow over the living room.   
“It’s perfect,” Cameron breathed moving past him into the apartment. House followed and closed the door. Turning to face him, she smiled widely. “It’s absolutely perfect.”  
House surveyed the room. A bucket containing a bottle of champagne sat on the coffee table next to two delicate wine glasses. He knew he didn’t have an ornate ice bucket or fancy wine glasses but he knew where he had seen them before.   
Cameron placed her bouquet and purse on the desk by the door and then moved to slide her arms around him. His cane clattered on the floor as he wrapped his arms around her. She stood on tip toe and kissed him. He closed his eyes and returned her kiss. Pushing his suit jacket off, she dropped it on the floor. House slid the zipper down on her dress and gently pulled it off her. He tossed it over the back of the couch as she kicked off her shoes. Taking her hand, he led her to the bedroom. She gasped when he opened the door. More candles flickered on every available surface. The bed was made up with crisp white sheets, a thick white comforter and plump white pillows. Creamy rose petals were scattered over the surface of the bed. House squeezed his eyes shut to keep from rolling them. He felt Cameron’s nimble fingers working his tie loose and then unbuttoning his shirt. She jerked it loose from his pants and pressed heated kisses against his skin as she stripped it from him. She sucked lightly on one of his nipples as she unfastened his belt. He shivered and kicked his shoes off. She removed his belt and within seconds his pants were pooled at his feet. She maneuvered him to the bed and pushed him backwards. The rose petals gave off their delicate scent as she straddled him. Leaning down, she kissed him with such passion that his breath caught in his throat and his heart threatened to hammer its way out of his chest.   
Slipping his hands around her, he unfastened her bra and tossed it on the floor. His fingers tangled in her hair as he devoured her mouth, his tongue tangling with hers. Rolling her onto her back, he leaned down and nipped at her breast, causing her to moan.   
“You like all the candles and rose petals?” he asked.  
She cupped his face and smiled at him. Her hands slid down to his shoulders and in the next instant he found himself on his back looking up at her.  
“Yes,” she breathed as she leaned down to kiss him again. “I think it’s very romantic.”  
“Huh.”  
He gasped when she slipped her hand into his boxer shorts. He gripped the comforter in his fists as she pushed his boxers off and took him into her mouth. She licked and sucked his stiff shaft until he nearly came off the bed.   
“Ready?” she asked moving to lie on top of him.  
“Are you?” he asked, tracing the line of her spine and running his fingers beneath the edge of her panties.  
“This is all I could think about all day,” she grinned. “You looked very handsome in your suit but I prefer you naked.”  
“That’s my girl,” he laughed.  
Pushing up, she allowed him to strip her panties from her. She straddled his hips and he could feel how wet she was as she moved against him. Gripping her hips, he rolled her onto her side. He pulled her leg over his hip and thrust into her. She arched against him and closed her eyes.  
“Look at me,” he commanded.  
He threaded his fingers through her hair, loosening her headband. Tossing it on the bedside table, he cupped her face. Her blue-green eyes were glazed over with desire and a delicate flush of color suffused her cheeks. Thrusting into her, he watched her as he moved. Her lips parted as her breathing accelerated. Sweat gleamed on her skin and he could feel her nails digging into his back. She moaned as he pushed deeper with each thrust. He moaned when she moved her hands down his back to grip his ass. She pushed him in even deeper and tightened her leg around him.   
He felt her muscles begin to tighten. Pumping faster, he held her gaze and then smiled as she jerked and arched backwards.  
“Yes, Greg!” she shouted as her inner walls clamped down on him, contracting and pulsing around him. Straining against her, he continued to thrust into her until he felt the familiar tingle at the base of his spine. He exploded into her and shouted incoherently as an intense orgasm washed over him. She kissed him as he shuddered and moaned. Finally, he relaxed and opened his eyes to look at her. She smiled at him and rested her forehead against his.  
“This was a nice way to end our wedding day,” she whispered.  
He nodded.  
“Do you need a Vicodin?” she asked.  
He lay still for a moment before shaking his head. “No, I’m good,” he told her.  
They crawled beneath the covers and she curled up next to him. Shifting to lie on his side, he settled her in his arms and smoothed back her hair.  
“We owe Wilson a big thank you,” she yawned.  
“Why?”  
She ran her fingers down his cheek and smiled. “For the candles and everything.”  
House smirked. “How do you know I didn’t do this?”  
“You are capable of many things, Greg,” she told him. “But this is not something you would do.”  
He laughed. “We owe Wilson a big thank you for being such a girl.”  
Her laughter mingled with his. “Lucky for you,” she giggled. She slipped from his embrace and got up. House watched as she pulled on his shirt and buttoned one button. Moving around the room, she began to blow out all the candles.  
“What are you doing?’ he asked.  
“I don’t want to wake up with our apartment on fire,” she told him.   
He watched in amusement as she extinguished all the candles in the bedroom.  
“You’re killing the romantic mood,” he teased.  
She stuck her tongue out at him and disappeared down the hallway. House lay back and stared at the ceiling waiting for her to return. He smiled when she finally returned. She slipped out of his shirt and tossed it over a chair. The bed dipped slightly as she got back in and House immediately pulled her back into his arms.  
“Are we safe?” he asked.  
“Yes,” she sighed, prompting a laugh from him.  
As sleep drifted over him, House realized that for the first time in his life he was truly happy. Somehow he would have to keep Cameron and Wilson from finding out. Once they knew, he would never hear the end of it. He sighed, pulled his wife closer and went to sleep.


	9. Chapter 9

Sunlight spilled across the room. House yawned and opened his eyes. Cameron laid sprawled half on him, half off him. They’d spent most of the night making love and she had collapsed on top of him and almost instantly fallen asleep. Reaching out, he felt around on the night table and grabbed his watch. Squinting at the display, he yawned again. Cameron stirred and House lightly slapped her ass. She buried her face in the curve of his neck and groaned.  
“Get up, wife,” he commanded. “We’re late for work.”  
She shook her head and groaned again. “The room is spinning and I feel sick,” she mumbled.   
House looked at her and grinned. “Well, if someone hadn’t been such a horny little minx last night, we would have gotten a decent night’s sleep and you wouldn’t feel like crap right now,” he laughed.  
Cameron tensed and rolled away from him. She scrambled from the bed and ran into the bathroom. House could hear her throwing up. He got up and shuffled into the bathroom. Grabbing his robe from the back of the bathroom door, he shrugged into it.  
“I’m guessing you need a pregnancy test,” he commented, sinking onto the floor beside her.  
Tears streamed down her face as she nodded. “I think so,” she gasped.   
House smoothed back her hair and rubbed her back. “You want to get back in bed? I’ll call Cuddy and tell her we’ll be in later. Then I gotta go on picture patrol.”  
Cameron laughed weakly. “Okay.” She pushed herself up and held out a hand to House. He allowed her to pull him up and then he helped her back into the bedroom. Once she was settled in the bed, he went back into the bathroom and wet a washcloth. He returned to the bed and wiped her face gently. She smiled up at him and rolled onto her side. He tossed the washcloth into the bathroom and dressed quickly. Grabbing his cane, he went out into the living room and opened the front door. He went outside and surveyed the building. No picture. He checked his car, his bike and Cameron’s car. No picture. He picked up the newspaper and carried it inside. He dropped it on the desk and checked each page carefully. No picture. House looked around the living room. The poker table was still set up from the night before. The cards Wilson brought were spread across the table. House smirked as he turned one over. The back of each card was imprinted with the picture of House and Cameron gazing at each other on their wedding day. That sneaky bastard, Wilson, had been plastering the damn picture all over since that day. It had first shown up in a full page ad in the newspaper. Next it had shown up as a screen saver on all the computers at the hospital. Then it had appeared as bumper stickers on House’s and Cameron’s cars and his bike. Wilson had t-shirts made with the phrase “Romance is overrated” printed on the front and the damn picture printed on the back. Every Friday the entire Oncology department wore the blasted shirts. Sometimes the picture popped up in patient files. One time multiple copies had been strung like a garland across the windows in the Diagnostics conference room. Every day it appeared somewhere different. House could never catch Wilson in the act and his best friend had hidden the memory card containing the picture in a place House had been unable to find. He had searched, too; Wilson’s office, his car, his hotel room, everywhere he could think of. Whenever House confronted Wilson, the oncologist always feigned shock. Now it had become a game that both enjoyed playing. House was eager to find where Wilson had planted the picture today. He would have to wait, though. First, he called Cuddy. After listening to her yell for several minutes, he finally hung up on her. Then he grabbed his keys and went to get a pregnancy test for his wife.

xOxOx

House and Cameron sat on the edge of the tub and waited. Cameron had set the timer. House stared at the slim white stick resting on the edge of the sink. Cameron leaned against him and sighed. He slipped his arm around her and absently kissed the top of her head.  
“I might just have a virus,” she commented. “And even if it comes up positive, I should still have a pregnancy test done at the hospital.”  
“As much as we have sex?” he scoffed. “You are knocked up.”  
The timer sounded and Cameron slowly got up and walked over to the sink. She picked up the stick and looked at the display. Turning to House, she smiled broadly and nodded. House pushed himself up and enveloped her in a tight embrace.  
“Told you so,” he grinned.  
“We’re going to have a baby,” Cameron sighed happily.


	10. Chapter 10

House parked the car and grabbed his cane. He swung himself out of the car and limped up to the front door. As he inserted his key, he could hear laughter coming from inside the apartment. Swinging the door open, he stopped and looked at Cameron seated on the couch with Foreman and Chase. They were watching television, an open pizza box on the coffee table along with beer bottles and water bottles.  
They all turned with a start when House slammed the door.  
“I guess my invitation got lost in the mail,” he commented, dropping his backpack on the floor and hooking his cane on the molding above the entry. Cameron jumped up and came around the couch to kiss his cheek.  
“I thought you and Wilson were going bowling,” she said with a smile.  
“Yeah,” he told her, never taking his eyes from Chase. “One of his bald-headed cancer kids took a nose dive and he felt like he should hold the parents’ hands.”  
Chase stared back at him impassively. Foreman cleared his throat.  
“Want some pizza?” Foreman asked. “And there’s beer.”  
House looked at Cameron. “You’re not drinking beer, are you?” he asked, anger sharpening his voice.  
Chase and Foreman looked at them in surprise.   
“No,” she told him with a warning look.  
“Well,” House said with a fake smile. “Enjoy your party. I’m going to bed. Don’t be too loud. Daddy needs his sleep.” He limped down the hallway and slammed the bedroom door.   
He stripped his clothes off, tossing them on the floor. Locking the bathroom door leading out into the hallway, he turned on the water and watched it fill the tub. Steam drifted upward and he rubbed his thigh as he waited. Finally, he turned off the water and stepped carefully into the tub. Sinking down, he leaned back and closed his eyes. He let the heat from the water seep into his aching thigh muscle. He’d been lying in the tub for a while when he heard the bathroom door open and close. Sitting up, he added more hot water to the tub and then sank back, closing his eyes again.  
“What was that all about?” Cameron asked.  
“You’re being a bad hostess, leaving your guests on their own,” he commented without opening his eyes. “What would Martha Stewart say?”  
“They went home,” she told him. Folding her arms, she looked at him appraisingly. “Are you jealous?”  
“No,” House scoffed.  
“I thought you were going bowling.”  
“So, you saw that as a prime opportunity to invite your former boy toy over.”  
“No, I saw that as an opportunity to invite my friends over for pizza and a movie.”  
House sank lower in the tub. “I brought the portable ultrasound machine home.”  
Silence descended on them. House opened one eye. Cameron was staring at him with her mouth parted and her brows drawn together.  
“You… stole the portable ultrasound machine?” she asked slowly.  
“No. I borrowed it. We need to do an ultrasound to make sure the spawn is okay. So, I borrowed the ultrasound machine.”  
“How did you get it into the car?”  
“Paid the weird night janitor twenty bucks to load it up for me.”  
Cameron sank down beside the tub and trailed her fingers in the water. “Is he going to help you sneak it back in?”  
“Yep.”  
“When do you have to take it back?”  
“When we’re finished with it.”  
She rubbed her fingers over his wet bicep and he looked at her out of the corner of his eye. A slight smile lifted the corner of his mouth. Her fingers moved up over his collarbone and brushed against his neck.  
Pushing himself up, he stood over her, water streaming down his body. She watched him as he climbed carefully from the tub. Wrapping a towel around his waist, he limped into the bedroom. He grabbed his car keys and made his way down the hallway. Cameron followed him and he opened the front door, tossing her the keys. He grabbed the office chair in front of his desk and pushed it toward her.  
“It’s in the trunk,” he told her with a grin.  
She rolled her eyes and shook her head.   
“I’m naked,” he whispered with a wide-eyed look.  
She sighed, grabbed the chair and went out to get the ultrasound machine.   
House tightened the towel around his waist and went to get a beer out of the refrigerator. He was biting into a slice of pizza when she came back with the machine.  
“Bedroom,” he told her around a mouthful of pizza.  
Shaking her head, she pushed it into the bedroom. House finished his pizza and drained his beer bottle before following her.  
Once the machine was set up, Cameron lay on the bed and pulled her shirt up, exposing her slightly rounded belly.  
“We’ll have to tell people soon,” she remarked as House squirted gel on her stomach.  
He picked up the wand and pressed it against her belly. “Did you drink enough water?” he asked.  
“Yes, lucky for you.”  
The baby’s heartbeat filled the room and House stared at the monitor. He traced the outline of the baby on the screen and turned the monitor so Cameron could see the image of their child.  
“He’s so much bigger,” she said. “I really wish you had come for the first ultrasound.”  
“Why are you so convinced it’s a boy?” he asked with a smirk.  
She shrugged. “I’m not. It seems better to say him rather than it.”  
House replaced the wand and wiped the gel off her stomach. “We should get this back to the hospital.” 

xOxOx

They returned the ultrasound machine and returned home. House had to pay the weird night janitor another twenty dollars to take it back into the hospital but he figured he would be able to get his money back at some point.   
He lay in bed and stared up at the ceiling. Cameron lay curled on her side next to him, sleeping. He shifted and slid his arm around her waist. His hand splayed over the slight bulge of her belly. He smiled and closed his eyes. Tomorrow, he thought. We’ll tell everyone tomorrow. His smile widened as he thought about how everyone would react to the news.


	11. Chapter 11

House and Cameron entered the Diagnostics conference room. Chase and Foreman looked up from the patient files spread on the table. Chase’s eyes narrowed as House hung Cameron’s bag on the coat stand by the door and turned to take her jacket from her. His eyes widened when he saw her blouse. Instead of the snug vest she usually favored, she wore a loose floral top.  
“You’re pregnant,” he stated dully.  
Cameron looked at House before nodding.  
“Uh,” Foreman began, getting up and crossing to Cameron. “Congratulations. Are you sure about this?”  
A brilliant smile lit Cameron’s face. “Yes,” she assured him.  
Foreman hugged her as Chase silently left the room. House watched him leave and then followed him.  
“Greg?” Cameron called after him. “What are you doing?”  
“Nothing,” he called over his shoulder.  
“House, where are you going?” Foreman asked.  
“Nowhere,” House replied with studied nonchalance. He quickened his pace and disappeared around the corner.

xOxOx

Chase sat slumped on the bench in the locker room. House entered and leaned against the wall. He stared up at the ceiling and then looked around the room. Finally he sighed.  
“You’ll find someone else,” House commented. He glanced at Chase and then back up at the ceiling. “I won’t.”  
Chase snorted in disbelief, staring down at his hands.  
“I’m not good looking, I’m not nice, I’m not what most women want,” House continued. “But for some reason, Allison wants me. She loves me. She’s a smart, beautiful woman and she wants me. You’ll have plenty of other women wanting you. I won’t.”  
“You’ll hurt her,” Chase said, his voice low and filled with misery.  
“You would end up hurting her and you know it,” House countered. “At least with me she knows what she’s getting. She has no illusions about me. She knows who I am and she loves me anyway.”  
“Do you love her?” Chase asked, looking up at House, a challenge in his eyes.  
House bowed his head and ran his fingers over the head of his cane. “Why do you think I did this?”  
Chase shook his head. “Are you telling me that you came up with this elaborate plan of having a baby so you could have Cameron?”  
House lifted his head and looked directly into Chase’s eyes. “I didn’t say that. I…” he paused and rubbed his hand across his forehead. “I want this baby. And yes, I love Allison. Happy?”  
He limped out of the locker room. Chase buried his face in his hands.

xOxOx

Wilson looked up as House entered his office.   
“I knocked her up. Spread the word,” House told him.  
Wilson sat in stunned silence as House smirked and closed the door.

xOxOx

House returned to the Diagnostics office and saw Cuddy talking to Cameron and Foreman. Chase was nowhere to be seen. He considered hiding but decided to get the inevitable over with. Pushing open the door, he strolled into the office and looked Cuddy up and down. She tilted her head and put her hands on her hips.  
“I hear congratulations are in order,” she commented.  
“Or ahf mir gezogt,” House smirked. “Though congratulations works, too.” He crossed behind Cuddy to slouch in the chair at the end of the table. Leaning forward, he pulled a file toward him and glanced through it.   
“So, we done? Or did you want to gush over my impending fatherhood some more?” he asked.  
Cuddy shook her head and looked at Cameron. “If you need anything, let me know,” she said. She squeezed Cameron’s hand and turned to leave. At the door, she stopped and looked back at House.  
“Lou told me that Doctor House and Mrs. Doctor House borrowed the portable ultrasound machine last night. Do you know anything about that?” she asked.  
“Who’s Lou?” House asked.  
“The weird night janitor.”  
House shrugged. “You gonna trust what he says? He wears his pants backwards.”  
Cuddy looked at Cameron who looked at the white board.  
“That’s what I thought,” Cuddy sighed.   
House leaned back in his chair and began to twirl his cane. “So, do we have a patient or do you guys want to head to the zoo? I vote for the zoo but that’s just me. Always looking to have a little fun.”  
“Where’s Chase?” Foreman asked, folding his arms and staring disapprovingly at House.  
“Dunno,” House replied.   
“I’m going to find him,” Foreman muttered. He stalked out of the room leaving Cameron alone with House.  
Cameron sat down next to House. “Where is Chase?” she asked quietly.  
“In the locker room,” House told her.  
“What did you say to him?”  
House shrugged and put his cane down. “I told him he would find someone else. He will.”  
“Is that all?”  
“Pretty much.”  
Cameron reached out and took his hand. She smiled at him. He gripped her fingers and looked down at the table.  
“Thank you,” he muttered.  
“For what?”  
He looked up at her. “For everything.”  
Leaning forward, she kissed him gently. “You’re welcome.”


	12. Chapter 12

House sat on the couch staring at the head of his cane. The room was shrouded in darkness and a faint light filtered in from the street light outside. He could make out the pale rectangular shape of the note for Allison. Turning his head, he glanced down the hallway. She was sleeping in their bedroom. Leaning forward, he rested his forehead on the curved handle of his cane.   
A light knock sounded on the door and he rose slowly. Reaching down, he picked up his suitcase. Making his way quietly to the door, he took one last look around the room. Allison’s coat was draped over the back of the couch. Her scarf trailed out of the pocket. He reached out and pulled it loose. The knock sounded again and he quickly stuffed her scarf into his coat pocket. Turning, he opened the door.  
“Dr. House?”   
A young man stood in the open doorway. He was dressed in bright green scrubs. House bit back a sarcastic remark and simply nodded.  
“I’m Frank,” the young nurse continued. He reached out and took House’s suitcase. “I’ll take that. We’ll have to check it when we get to the hospital.”  
“Right,” House replied following Frank out. Turning, he locked the door and rested his hand on the smooth wood. Taking a deep breath, he walked out onto the sidewalk. It was still dark but the eastern sky was beginning to lighten. House knew that Allison would awaken in a few hours and find his note. He only hoped she would understand and be waiting for him when he returned home.

xOxOx

Wilson rubbed sleep from his eyes and knocked on the door. Reaching up, he smoothed his hair. The door swung open and Allison flung herself into his arms. Sobs shook her body and her tears soaked his sweatshirt.  
Wilson led her into the apartment and over to the couch. As he sat down next to her, he saw the note on the coffee table.  
The sound of Allison’s weeping burned into his heart as he reached out for the note. Silently he read it, his fingers gripping the paper so tightly it crinkled around them. When he finished, he tossed the paper onto the table and pulled Allison into his arms. Anger burned through him but he was not surprised House had done what he did.  
“He’s checked himself into a rehab center,” he whispered against her hair. “That’s a good thing. Focus on that.”  
“Why didn’t he tell me?” she sobbed.  
Wilson tightened his embrace and squeezed his eyes shut. That was a very good question.

xOxOx

House sat on the edge of the narrow bed. Smoothing his fingers over the sheets, he stared out the window. Fear gripped him and he tried to slow his breathing. He kept reminding himself that the pain he would feel as he detoxed would be worth it. He would no longer be addicted to Vicodin; he could be the husband Allison deserved and the father his child deserved. Hopefully Allison would be waiting for him when he got out. The note was a cowardly thing to do but he couldn’t face her. He couldn’t look into those clear, trusting eyes of hers and tell her what he had planned. Leaving her during the last trimester of her pregnancy made him a bastard; he knew that. The thought of raising a child and having that child know about his addiction was too much for House. The last sonogram made him realize he had to make a change. They’d found out the gender of their baby. House refused to be like his own father. His son would have a different life; a better life with a father who loved him and supported him. His son would have everything House didn’t.   
xOxOx

Every nerve ending in his body was on fire. Every breath was painful; every heartbeat. He felt the bile rise and tried to sit up. Gentle hands gripped his shoulders, pulling him up so that he could throw up into the basin beside his bed. A familiar scent drifted over him.  
“Allison?” he rasped, reaching out.  
“No, Dr. House,” a nurse responded. “I’m not Allison. She isn’t here.”  
He collapsed back onto the bed and closed his eyes.  
“Do you want me to call her?” the nurse asked.  
Tears trailed down his cheeks. “No.”

xOxOx

Sunlight touched his face but it didn’t burn his skin today. Cautiously he stretched his legs out. A slight pain radiated out from his thigh. Reaching down, he rubbed it and the pain receded. Slowly, he sat up. He swung his legs over the edge of the bed. Taking a deep breath, he released it slowly.  
The door to his room opened and an older woman walked in. She smiled when she saw House sitting up.   
“Good morning, Dr. House,” she greeted. “Are you feeling better this morning?”  
House recognized her voice. She was the nurse who took care of him during his detox; the one who smelled like Allison.  
“Yeah,” he replied. “When can I go home?”  
She came forward and lifted his arm to take his pulse. Looking down at her watch, she smiled. “The doctor will be in later to check on you. You can ask him.”  
“Will you call my wife?” he asked.   
Releasing his wrist, she nodded. “Her name is Allison, right?”  
House nodded and looked away. The nurse left and he lay back on the bed. As he stared up at the ceiling, he wondered if Allison would forgive him. He wished he had told her how much he loved her before he left. Now he was afraid he would never get the chance.

xOxOx

House stood at the window in his hospital room watching the ebb and flow of traffic on the street below. His suitcase was packed and he was anxious to leave. The door swung open and his doctor walked in carrying a folder.  
“Morning, Greg,” the older man greeted him cheerfully. He looked at the suitcase on the bed. “I see you’re ready to head home.”  
“Can’t put anything past you, can I?” House asked.   
The doctor shook his head and nodded toward the bed. “Let’s talk.”  
House rolled his eyes but slumped on the bed beside the doctor. His stomach clenched as the other man went over his follow up appointments and discussed his new pain management regimen.   
House took the folder and flipped through the papers. “Narcotics Anonymous?” he asked. “Seriously?”  
The doctor stood up and smiled, clasping House’s shoulder. “There are meetings at PPTH. I put a schedule in there for you. I’ll see you next week.” He left after patting House on the shoulder.   
House slowly stood and looked at the folder. He pulled out his new prescription.  
“Ibuprofen,” he sneered. “Great.”  
Unzipping his suitcase, he crammed the folder inside, zipped it up again and went back to the window. He really hoped he had done the right thing.


	13. Chapter 13

House walked down the hallway toward the exit of the hospital. Sunlight poured in through the windows and he could see the clear blue sky. He moved more quickly toward the double doors at the end of the hall. Pushing open the doors, he stepped out and looked around. He spotted Wilson leaning against his car in the parking lot. House slowly made his way toward his best friend. Wilson took his suitcase and put it in the trunk. House looked into the car. He swallowed down his disappointment when he saw it was empty.  
“She’s waiting at home for you,” Wilson told him. “You have some explaining to do.”  
House looked up at Wilson who smiled ruefully.  
“I know,” House responded quietly.

xOxOx

The apartment was quiet when he entered. He dropped his suitcase on the floor, hung his cane on the molding above the entry and slipped his coat off.   
“A note?”  
House turned to look at Allison. She stood at the end of the hallway, arms folded. He shrugged and went into the kitchen. Opening the refrigerator, he leaned down to look inside. He barely managed to pull his head back in time as the door swung shut again. Looking at Allison’s hand against it, he sighed and hung his head.  
“You knew what you were signing up for,” he reminded her. “You knew what I was like. So, don’t act surprised when I do things that run true to form for me.”  
Glancing at her out of the corner of his eye, he saw her shake her head. “You’re right. It was silly of me to think that the marriage vows or a baby would mean anything to you.”  
She turned sharply on her heel and strode away. House sighed and followed her.  
“They mean something,” he said following her into their bedroom. “You mean something. To me.”  
She stopped and turned slowly to face him.   
“That’s why I went to rehab,” he continued. “I want to be better. I want to be better for you and our son.”  
Tilting her head, she folded her arms and looked at him. He sighed. He recognized that look. That look meant he was in deep trouble.  
“You want more,” he muttered. “Of course you want more.” Moving across the room, he slumped down on the bed. “I love you. Happy?”  
She stared at him. “Really? You have a funny way of showing it. You leave me a note and slip out in the middle of the night. You never even called me. I had no idea where you were!”  
“I went to rehab,” he huffed. “Did you not read the note?”  
“Yes! I read the note! Decided to go to rehab. Don’t be mad. Greg. I had no idea where you had gone. You didn’t leave the name of the hospital, a phone number, nothing. You even turned off your damn cell phone!”  
House ran his hand over his face. “Were you listening just now when I said that I love you?”  
“You have a strange way of showing it!”  
“You said that,” he muttered. Pushing himself up, he moved to stand in front of her. “Unclench.”  
He grimaced at the look of anger she shot at him. “I admit that I could have handled it better. But I couldn’t face you. I realized that I don’t want my son to grow up with an addict for a father. I realized that I want to be a better husband to you. I knew the only way I could do that was to detox and get off the Vicodin.”  
“I would have understood,” she told him. “I would have taken you.”  
House looked up at the ceiling. “I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to leave you. The last thing I wanted to do was disappoint you. I knew the only way I could do it was exactly the way I did.”  
Allison gently looked up at him and he watched as she relaxed. Leaning forward, she kissed him. All the tension drained from him as her mouth opened beneath his. Threading his fingers through her hair, he deepened the kiss, inhaling her scent. He lowered her to the bed and stretched out beside her. Placing his hand on her stomach, he nuzzled her neck.   
“Are we okay?” he asked.  
Sighing, she smoothed the hair back from his forehead. “On one condition,” she told him. “This is the last time you keep something from me.”  
“Does this mean I have to tell you when Wilson forces me to go to the strip clubs?” he asked with a smirk.  
“Yes,” she smiled. “Maybe I’ll come next time he forces you to go.”  
Propping himself up on his elbow he leered down at her. “You are the perfect woman, you know that, right?”  
Smiling up at him, she lightly stroked his chest beneath his shirt. “For you, maybe.”  
He leaned down until his mouth was nearly touching hers. “You are definitely perfect for me.” His lips touched hers, his tongue sliding into her mouth.  
“You wanna…?” he asked, running his hand up her thigh.  
Pushing him onto his back, she kissed him, sucking his tongue into her mouth. She pulled his shirt off, tossing it over her shoulder.  
“I’ll take that as a yes,” he said, pulling her shirt over her head. He reached behind her and unfastened her bra, slipping the straps down her arms. Moving to straddle him, she leaned down and kissed him again. His hands closed over her breasts and he rubbed his thumbs over her hardening nipples. She leaned into his hands, a low moan escaping her. He felt her hands at the waistband of his jeans and he lifted his hips to allow her to slide them, along with his boxer shorts, down his legs. Running his hands over the swell of her belly, he hooked his fingers in the waistband of her yoga pants. She rose up and allowed him to pull them off her and then allowed him to strip her panties from her. Moving over him, she grasped his erection and slid down on him. He gripped her hips and closed his eyes as she enveloped him. Letting her set the pace, he thrust up against her gently. She leaned forward, her hair forming a dark curtain on either side of her face. Bracing her hands on his shoulders, she rocked back and forth on him. He slid his hands back up over her stomach to cup her breasts. Moments later, he felt her muscles begin to contract on him. Her hips jerked against his and she cried out his name. He held her as she climaxed watching the play of emotions cross her beautiful face. Then he was carried away on a wave of pleasure so intense he shouted her name and arched up off the bed. As the aftershocks shuddered through him, he felt her collapse against him. Wrapping his arms around her, he pressed a kiss against her hair. She rolled to lie beside him and he turned on his side so that he could see her. He picked up a strand of her hair and wound it around his finger.  
“I made a good choice when I choose you to be my brood mare,” he told her with a teasing glint in his eyes.  
Rolling her eyes, she sat up and pulled the covers up over them. “Yes, you are the ultimate stud and I am so lucky to be your brood mare,” she replied sarcastically.  
Settling down beside her, he pulled her into his arms. “I do love you,” he told her seriously.   
He felt her lips lightly touch his neck. “I love you, too.”  
“We should go house hunting,” he told her. “You’ll be popping that boy out soon and we don’t have room for him here. Unless we clear out a drawer to keep him in.”  
“I’ll call a realtor later,” she told him, snuggling closer to him.  
“Just don’t call Bonnie Wilson. She is the worst realtor in New Jersey.”  
Cameron laughed. “Okay. I’ll keep that in mind.”  
House closed his eyes and was soon sound asleep.


	14. Chapter 14

“Greg!”   
House sat on the couch and sipped his coffee. Tilting his head back, he peered down the hallway. When he didn’t see Allison, he focused on the television again.   
“Greg!”  
House took another sip of his coffee and changed the channel.  
“Greg!!”  
House leaned his head back and looked up at Allison. “Yes?” he drawled.  
She put her hands on her hips and sighed. “Did you hear me calling you?”  
“Yep,” he told her as he continued to look up at her.  
“And you didn’t answer because…?” she asked, annoyance edging her voice.  
House lifted his head and shrugged. “I figured if you really wanted me you would come get me.”  
He heard her draw in a deep breath. He recognized that sharp intake. She was trying to control her temper. Rubbing his hand over his mouth to hide his smile, he waited.  
“Have you seen my scarf?” she asked finally. “I thought I left it in the pocket of my coat but I haven’t been able to find it. It has been missing for weeks.”  
House set his mug and the remote on the table. Pushing himself up, he made his way to their bedroom. He grabbed his suitcase and opened it. Pulling out her scarf, he returned to the living room. He held it out to her, averting his eyes.  
“Where was it?” she asked.  
“I took it with me to rehab.”  
She looked down at the scarf and then back up at him. He grunted softly as she gathered him into a tight embrace. He pulled her close and buried his face in the curve of her neck.  
Pulling back, she cupped his face in her hands and sighed. “We’re going to be late.”  
House slumped and pouted. “Do I have to?” he whined.  
“Yes,” Allison told him firmly. “The realtor is meeting us at the first house. I don’t want to be late.”  
House rolled his eyes and huffed out his breath. Grabbing his coat, he shoved his arms into it and then looped his scarf around his neck. “I want it to be known that I am only going because you are making me. You are a mean Mommy.”  
Allison smirked at him and grabbed the car keys. “Yes, I am. Let’s go.”

xOxOx

House slumped in the front seat of the car. “This is the fifth house we have looked at. I wanna go home.”  
Allison rubbed his arm. “Just two more to look at after this one and then we can go home.” Opening the car door, she got out. House watched her walk up to the front steps where the realtor waited for them. A smile curved his mouth as he got out of the car. Leaning heavily on his cane, he carefully made his way up the walkway. Stopping behind Allison, he leaned forward.  
“You’ve developed a pregnancy strut,” he whispered in her ear. “It’s very sexy.” His hand slipped beneath the hem of her coat and curved over her ass. Squeezing lightly, he smirked down at her.  
“We’re going to see the rest of the houses,” she whispered. “But nice try.”  
House’s lip curled in disgust and he trailed after her into the house. He stopped in the entry and looked around the spacious living room. Three large windows let in the mid-afternoon sun. A stone fireplace took up most of the wall to his right. A wide arched doorway led into another room which had large windows that looked out onto a spacious back yard. House could hear Allison talking to the realtor in another room as he made his way down the hallway. Peeking into rooms as he passed, he saw a bathroom, and three large bedrooms. He stopped at the end of the hallway and opened the door. He slowly entered and looked around. The room was enormous and had gleaming wood floors like the rest of the house. He opened several doors and saw two closets and a spacious bathroom. Tapping his cane against the floor, he looked around at the high ceilings, ornate crown molding and large windows. Turning, he made his way down the hallway, looking for Allison and the realtor. He found them in the kitchen.  
“How much?” he asked as he walked in. His eyes met Allison’s and she nodded slowly.   
The realtor told him the price and he nodded. “We’ll take it,” he told her.  
“I’ll get the papers,” the realtor said.  
Allison smiled and House knew they were home.


	15. Chapter 15

House walked up the sidewalk toward his apartment. Though Cameron lived there with him, he still thought of it as his. Of course, now that they were moving, it was no longer his. He looked at the moving truck and the boxes stacked on the sidewalk. He had hoped that his Narcotics Anonymous meeting would run long enough so that he could avoid having to help with the moving.  
As he made his way through the boxes, he saw Wilson coming out carrying a box.  
“Hey,” Wilson greeted as he placed the box on the sidewalk. “How was the meeting?”  
House leaned on his cane and shrugged. “If all I wanted to do was listen to self righteous whining, I would have stayed here with you and Cuddy.”  
Wilson put his hands on his hips. “Well, I’m glad to see going to those meetings is working out so well for you. Now get in here and help us with the packing.”  
House poked out his bottom lip. “But I have a bum leg.”  
“Your pregnant wife is in there packing.”  
“What?” House asked in alarm. “That’s why I called you, Cuddy and the Bobsey Twins. She isn’t supposed to be lifting anything. She’s due and I quote ‘any day now’.”  
“She isn’t lifting. She’s packing dishes. She insisted,” Wilson informed him.  
House huffed out an annoyed breath and entered the apartment. Cuddy and Allison sat in chairs in the kitchen packing dishes. House noticed that his wife looked tired.   
“Hey,” he said softly, moving toward her. He reached out and smoothed her hair. “You’re supposed to take it easy. That’s why I called everyone to help.”  
She smiled up at him. “I can do this. I’m sitting down. I’m fine.”  
House glanced at Cuddy who shook her head slightly.  
“Where are Chase and Foreman?” he asked.  
“Taking apart the bed,” Cuddy told him. “The movers are taking a break.”   
House sighed. He looked down at Allison who continued to wrap packing paper around dishes. The urge to sweep her up and make her rest was overwhelming but he knew better than to force her to do something she didn’t want to do. So he grabbed a chair and started packing dishes.

xOxOx

“We’ll be back in the morning to unpack the boxes,” Wilson told House.   
They were standing on the front porch of House and Allison’s new home. The movers had unloaded everything and left. Chase and Foreman had put the bed together and Cuddy had put clean sheets on it for them. They’d arranged the furniture for Allison and left. Wilson had stayed to help House get Allison settled and unpack some of their things.  
House looked down at his cane. “Thank you.”  
Wilson smiled and put his hand on House’s shoulder. “Get some rest.”  
House watched his best friend leave and then went inside. He wound his way through all the boxes and made his way to the master bedroom. Allison was already in bed asleep.  
House got ready for bed and then slid in beside her. She shifted in her sleep until she lay against him. He closed his eyes and was on the verge of sleep when a sharp cry from her startled him.  
“What’s wrong? Are you having a contraction?” he asked.  
She groaned and House felt wetness spread across the bed.  
“My water just broke,” she said.   
“Yeah, I got that,” he told her. Getting up, he reached for the phone. He called her doctor and then grabbed her bag and some clothes.  
“Can you get dressed?” he asked.  
She tried to sit up and cried out as another contraction gripped her. House gently helped her sit up and then carefully stripped her pajamas off her. He got her dressed and out to the car.

xOxOx

Cameron James House lay in his bassinet sleeping peacefully. House sat next to Allison’s bed and held his wife’s hand as she slept.   
Wilson entered the hospital room quietly. He stopped at the bassinet and looked down at House’s son.  
“He looks just like you,” Wilson told him softly.  
“Yeah. I’m hoping the next one is a girl and looks like Allison,” House responded.  
“The next one?” Wilson asked with a grin.   
“I don’t want CJ to be an only child. He should have a little sister to torment.”  
Wilson smiled broadly. “This whole baby thing was the best idea you ever had, House.”  
House looked at Allison. “Yeah, it was.”  
Wilson looked at him in surprise. Realization flooded over him. “You did this to get her. You knew she’d say yes to having a baby with you. You knew she was in love with you. You did this to so you could have a relationship with her; marry her.”  
“Why don’t you shout it a little louder?” House grumbled. “I don’t think the nurses down in the clinic heard you.”  
“Did you really think she wouldn’t go out with you, marry you, unless you devised some cunning plan?”  
House looked away. “Why would she?”  
“I don’t know; maybe because she is madly in love with you and has been since she met you?”  
“Go away, Wilson.”  
Wilson shook his head and looked down at the baby. “Don’t screw this up,” he said softly. With one final look at House, he left.  
“I would have gone out with you if you had asked,” Allison said quietly.  
House looked at her in surprise. “You heard all that?”  
“Kind of hard to sleep when you and Wilson are yelling like that,” she smiled.  
House laughed softly. CJ began to make noises and House pushed himself up. He limped over to the bassinet and lifted his son out. He carried the baby to Allison and put him in her arms.   
“I’m glad you wanted me to be your brood mare,” she told him.  
“I’m glad you agreed to my cunning plan.”  
Allison ran her hand over CJ’s head, smoothing the downy curls. She looked up at House.  
“I’m glad you got baby fever,” she told him.  
“Me, too,” he grinned.


End file.
